Seeing it Differently
by Princessss
Summary: Have you ever wondered how the universe looks to your pets? Join me as I explore the thoughts and feelings of every single animal we know and love from the Harry Potter universe. Their stories deserve to be told. *I do not own any of the characters in this story, they belong to J.K. Rowling and her affiliates*
1. When Harry Got Hedwig

A sea of green spread out for miles before her huge, Amber eyes, further than even she could manage to see. It made her feel safe, calm, at home. She could feel the wind brushing lightly against her skin, refreshing her body during the wonderfully long journey. There was nothing in the world more satisfying than flying above it. Familiar noises surrounded her, helpfully guiding her on her way until – wait! What is that? She raced towards the unfamiliar sound, not knowing what it was and yet she just knew that she had to find it. She needed to find it. Almost there, Almost there. About to finally reach it-

The tinkle of the bell which was connected to the top of the door entrance to the shop rang loudly throughout the cluttered room and forced her out of her delightful slumber, robbing her of finding the thing she most desperately desired and sought in her dream. She ruffled her feathers, giving a small hoot of annoyance, and put her head back under her wing to rest without even glancing at the new strangers. She could feel the vibrations of their steps as they walked along the rickety wooden floor, approaching her keeper with the wild mane on her head. She could sense there to be two earth-walkers, though one's foot stomp sounded as though it was far larger than the other one's.

As she desperately attempted to get back to her wondrous dream the earth-walkers began to exchange words. This made her extremely irritable and she wished that she could fly away to a more peaceful place just to get away from them. Nothing in the world was ruder than waking another in her very high opinion. Removing her snowy head from beneath her wing in utter annoyance, she opened her large amber eyes intending to let the earth-walkers know how angry she was with them. How dare they, the insignificant earth-walkers, interrupt her perfect slumber.

That was when she saw him for the first time. He was across the room from her surveying another owl. No more than a miniature of most earth-dwellers and yet, never before had she been so fascinated by one of them. His eyes were shining with excitement as the other one ruffled his feathers at him, attempting to entice the earth-walker in to being his companion. A small smile played across the boys face as he stared at the other bird, blinded by the feather rustler and poking his fingers through the cage as he stroked the other bird's feathers.

For some strange reason this infuriated her to no end. _This could not be allowed to happen,_ she thought. In order to stop the small boy from making the mistake of choosing him, she gave a loud hoot in an attempt to gain his undivided attention. As he turned she suddenly had an epiphany – he was the thing she'd been looking for in her dream. His eyes, still shining with excitement, found hers as he walked towards her cage to examine her more closely.

For a few minutes he interacted with her, whispering words of comfort through the thin, metal bars. He stood back, contemplating her for the moment. She stared at the small boy, trying to convey what she couldn't say without words. He stared straight back at her and somehow she knew that he understood.

"Hagrid, I think this is the one I'd like."


	2. Dumbledore's Death

The large, circular office was darkened, lit dimly by the light of the moon resting high up in the night's sky. Small noises and little puffs of smoke and steam were being emitted from a few of the peculiar objects that were carefully placed in the different cabinets lining the walls. The loud sound of snoring filled the giant room which seemed to originate from several of the paintings that were hanging on the walls. Among these different noises there was also a small cooing sound which you would not immediately notice if you entered into the room. Quiet, peaceful - it seemed extremely out of place.

The creature, from which the soothing sound originated from, was a large red and golden coloured bird that was resting with its head under its wing, seated upon a large perch which was situated behind the magnificent, oaken door. This bird was not just any ordinary bird, it was a phoenix. They are magical creatures and highly intelligent animals that can carry extremely heavy loads and also possess tears of immense healing powers. Not only that but, once they die, they can be reborn from their ashes. Phoenix's are creatures that have fascinated witches and wizards for centuries and the occupant of this office was no different.

Without any warnings the bird suddenly snapped its head upright and opened its small beady eyes. For a split second the bird looked around the room, narrowing his eyes as though searching for something significant that had had the audacity to disappear. In the next instant, the bird rushed onto his feet and spread out his large, magnificent wings then took off suddenly through the window and into the night as though his life depended on it.

The wind was rushing past his feathery form as he pushed his wings to the limit, trying to urge his body to go faster than was possible. The stars and the sky turned into nothing other than a black blur. Quickly, spotting his quarry, he dove down heading towards the top of the moonlit tower. Yet, it was too late. Looking down at the scene unfolding before him he saw a flash of green light and a body fell to the ground.

A huge sadness filled his body, grief overtaking him. _This cannot be happening,_ he thought to himself. He needed his master, his caregiver, his friend. There was nobody in this world that could compare to his master's magnificence. He had no idea that a sadness this deep could even be felt and, in that moment, it had consumed his entire being. He landed on top of the tower from which his master had just fallen, succumbing to the grief he now felt. The Potter boy was clutching his masters body, tears streaming down his cheeks. A lump filled his throat as his own tears began to fall, wanting above everything to heal his fallen master. Yet, that could never happen. He could not raise the dead.

Soon the grounds were cleared and Fawkes knew what he must do. Taking off in flight he began to sing a beautiful song in memory of his old friend. His wings were spread widely as he gathered the strength to continue one last lap of the castle and its grounds, though the flight he normally would love held no pleasure for him. Upon singing the last note of his lament he knew that it was time.

Albus Dumbledore had left the world forever and so should he.


	3. Buckbeak's First Encounter

It was not a particularly sunny day in the forest. A light breeze brushed the green leaves of the trees that stood tall above them, shielding their paddock from what little sun there was in the sky. Buckbeak glanced around at his fellow inmates and rolled his large, orange eyes at them. One of his companions was scratching her behind with her beak, while two others seemed to be having a slight disagreement with one another. Buckbeak screeched once loudly at the two of them and his two friends stopped. He ruffled his grey feathers importantly and turned to gaze once more out into the forest. A small woodland animal stood at the base of a large tree. It looked at Buckbeak with a daring expression on its face and darted forwards without permission. He reared up and flapped his wings in response, pulling at his tether, momentarily forgetting about its existence. The small animal scurried away, terrified, and Buckbeak snorted with derision as he settled back into his prior disgruntled state. He was restless, they all were. Being tied up to the wooden post was irritating, though Buckbeak knew that his large hairy friend, Hagrid, would have his reasons.

At that precise moment, Buckbeak could hear the sound of footsteps walking towards their enclosure. He could tell that there was clearly more than one set of footsteps but he wasn't sure how many. That worried him a little and he tensed himself, waiting for those approaching to appear. Then he heard Hagrid's familiar booming voice and relaxed, Hagrid would never put _him_ in danger after all. Buckbeak waited patiently for the newcomers to appear, standing stock still as he anticipated their arrival. His friends were less patient, clawing the ground and ruffling their feathers as though they had somewhere better to be. Buckbeak rolled his eyes at them and shook his head slightly. Then he saw the first of the strangers peering hesitantly from behind Hagrid's huge form. They were similar to his Hagrid but a lot tinier and were not covered in his strange dark fur. He gazed at them curiously as they gathered around Hagrid and listened to the words he was speaking. Some of the newcomers were sending darting glances his way. It irked him. Did they not know respect? In the next instant Hagrid was walking over to him with one of the small humans and a small smile just for him on his hairy lips.

Buckbeak eyed the stranger warily. He wasn't sure if this miniature hairless Hagrid could be trusted. The boy came closer now and Hagrid waited a few feet away, the black eyes boring into the orange with great warmth. Tilting his head slightly, Buckbeak looked towards the small boy curiously. He had a dark mane and brilliant green eyes that intrigued Buckbeak greatly. The young human stopped a few feet away from where he stood and sunk into a low bow. _Rightly so,_ Buckbeak thought to himself. After a few moments of contemplation, Buckbeak finally lowered his own scaly knees into a consenting bow. The boy intrigued him for some strange reason. He noticed that, as he returned the bow, the boy visibly relaxed. Then, the boy walked forwards and caressed his beak lightly with his small, human hands. It felt nice, warm, and comforting making Buckbeak close his eyes as he enjoyed the pleasure. It was a feeling that he didn't want to stop and yet, almost as soon as it began the feeling had ended. Buckbeak re-opened his large, orange eyes and saw that a look somewhat like triumph lit up the boy's entire face. Hagrid then said something that made the boy's face darken but he seemed to grit his teeth and move beside Buckbeak all the same. When he placed one of his small legs on the back of his wing, Buckbeak realised what he was doing and stood stock still in order to make it easier for the boy.

Once the green-eyed boy had settled himself comfortably on his feathered back, Buckbeak spread his magnificent wings and took off into the air. He could feel the boy clutch to him closer and noted that he had a firm, but not painful, grip which Buckbeak greatly appreciated. Buckbeak soared above the tree tops, feeling the wind rush past his feathers and bristle through his wings. In his opinion flying was the greatest pass time in the entire world. After circling around the enclosure once, Buckbeak landed back on the ground extremely gracefully. His new acquaintance dismounted and a timid smile broke out over his lips. The boy gave Buckbeak one last pat and moved away back towards his fellow miniature humans. As he looked towards the rest of the group, Buckbeak noticed that they all wore expressions of immense relief and cheering their fellow human for some strange reason. It confused him greatly.

Soon enough Hagrid had barked out some instructions and the rest of the small humans had climbed into the paddock and split off into smaller groups. Three boys quickly claimed his attention and the smallest of the three gave Buckbeak a deep bow. Contrastingly to the previous boy this one had a very light mane and strikingly grey eyes. His skin was also extremely pale, though not at all sickly. Again, unexpectedly, this boy also intrigued him greatly. Never before had he been so affected by humans, other than Hagrid of course. He seemed oddly charming. Buckbeak bent his own scaly knees in response, inviting this new boy forwards. An eager look clouded the boy's face and a huge grin was plastered upon his lips. He moved closer to Buckbeak, caressing his head with one of his tiny, warm hands. It was immensely pleasurable. Vaguely, Buckbeak was aware that this new boy was speaking to him and he began to focus more clearly upon the words.

"… you ugly great brute."

Red clouded his vision and tinged his beak with the taste of anger. _Ugly. Great. Brute._ Buckbeak squawked so loudly it reverberated around the trees and stood backwards onto his hind legs, becoming twice the size of any human. He hit out at the now terrified boy with his front talons, cutting deeply into his skin. A hint of a sly smile had been playing on the boys lips a moment before but Buckbeak had not acknowledged that until now. It didn't matter anymore. _Ugly._ How dare that inferior piece of filth insult _him!_ Buckbeak was so angry that he barely even noticed Hagrid dragging him back to his tether. He merely continued to squawk and claw at the ground until the pale boy, and the other miniature humans, were all out of sight. With one last screech, Buckbeak settled down though he was still infuriated. _Ugly. Brute._ Hopefully he had now taught that inferior _human_ some respect.


	4. Friends and Family

Written for the QLFC - Round 13

Falmouth Falcons - Seeker

Prompt: None (Go Wild!)

Word Count: 1,052

* * *

The sky was a perfect, cloudless black, allowing the stars that twinkled brightly high above to be seen from the ground below. A brisk wind swirled among the sparse trees, causing branches to bend and leaves to race across the small, dirt paths between them. It was a perfect night for hunting. Then again, he found every night to be a perfect night for hunting. He was soaring high above the landscape, searching for his dinner. At long last he spotted movement in a tree to his left. He dove for the hollowed out entrance and grabbed the struggling morsel in his mouth, landing on a tree not too far away and enjoying his meal that had since stopped wiggling. In two swallows he'd almost devoured the entire thing, saving the scrumptious tail for last as per usual. Just as he'd gobbled up the last bite, a large, winged creature landed on the ground a few feet away from the tree he had settled in. The monstrous thing intrigued him immensely. It had huge feathery wings, a golden beak, and black talons while also having the back legs of a horse attached to it. He hooted excitedly as the creature settled, intending to make a new friend. In the next instant he had taken flight and began bobbing erratically around the strange creature's head.

It was at that moment he noticed the human sitting astride the giant beast. He supposed that he hadn't seen the man before because he was so excited for his new friend. The man had a haggard appearance. His robes were tattered and his face hung gaunt while being shadowed by a mane of tangled hair. However, none of that mattered to him. He hooted even more excitedly at the sight of the human, knowing he had made two new friends in one night. Usually he found it difficult to make even one, though he was never sure why. The man met his eyes and smiled warmly at him. Then he slid from his feathery companion and landed on the ground with a small thud. While looking up at his small, feathery form once again, the man held out one arm as if to give him an invitation. He hooted happily and landed softly on his wrist, nipping the man affectionately as he stroked his feathers with his free hand.

"Hello," the man mumbled softly, "Who might you be?"

He merely hooted softly at the man in response while gazing at him with his large, brown eyes. The man continued to rub him softly behind his ears, though stopped abruptly to appraise him it seemed.

"Are you up for delivering a letter for me?" the man asked. He hooted excitedly in response, eager to be useful to his new friend. "I'll take that as a yes." The man laughed, setting him on a nearby branch as he retrieved parchment, quill, and ink from the satchel he'd slung over his shoulder.

For a while the only sounds were that of the man scratching his quill upon the parchment and the restless pawing of the ground by his companion. He watched them both with great interest, though finally decided to move to a branch that sat directly in front of the large creature in order to gain its attention. He hooted happily at the creature and dared to move an inch closer, only for the creature to lash out with its talons. Not being deterred, he flew happily around the creatures head and soon it got tired of chasing him away. With a huge sigh and a roll of its dangerous eyes, the creature bent its scaly knees and rested peacefully on the ground. He landed softly nearby and continued to hoot at his new friend. Though he didn't get much of a response from them, he liked his new friends very much. Soon the man had finished writing his letter and his enthusiasm was rekindled. As he hopped about excitedly on a low branch, the man attempted to tie the letter to his leg before picking him up in both of his rough hands.

"Take this letter to Harry Potter," said the man with a small smile.

He then took off, allowing the wind to push him faster as he raced towards his destination. In a matter of hours he had reached the boarder of the mainland and was soaring over the open sea, narrowly avoiding a few floating buildings that obstructed his course. Dawn had broken and the first rays of the day's sunlight shimmered over the rippling water. For a while all he could see was water but he somehow knew he was going in the correct direction. It wasn't too long before he could see land again and that encouraged him to move faster. As soon as he had reached this next mainland, he turned north and the wind seemed to change with him. The closer he got to his destination the more he knew he was going the right way. On and on he raced, flying past buildings and fields alike. It wasn't until late afternoon he reached his quarry. He dove towards the moving cylinder, racing alongside it until he had found the human his new friend had bid him deliver the letter to.

It wasn't long before a soft hand stretched out and grabbed him from the air. Without pausing he dropped the letter into the open seat and zoomed around the small room. He'd delivered the letter and his friend would be so proud. In the next instant he felt himself pulled from the air and seemed to be encompassed by two extremely warm hands. Looking up he saw a boy with red hair, a long freckly nose, and blue eyes to rival that of a beautiful summer's day. He hooted happily in this new friend's hands before nipping his finger affectionately. The boy said 'ow' so he knew that the boy had enjoyed it. He continued to hoot at his new friend, in order to gain his attention, and it wasn't long before he held him up to the furry animal that sat in its own seat. The animal gave him a large sniff and purred. It made him feel accepted. As though, finally, he had found his own little family.


	5. Adventure Time

_Nice and cool, yes. Just how I like it,_ he thought. The water lapped gently against his feet as he was jostled around by the clumsy boy. Suddenly they were in complete darkness but then they emerged into an even brighter light. It wasn't nice. There were also loud noises surrounding him in his sanctuary which he did not like at all. They were extremely disconcerting. He attempted to find somewhere quieter to rest but the stern lady stopped him. When the noise had finally died down the clumsy boy removed him from his sanctuary. His hands were warm and sticky and he didn't like that. Several times he tried to escape to no avail. Finally he got his chance as the boy was distracted for a little while. Time to explore. It wasn't long before he found a dark corner, quieter than the rest of the area. He settled himself down to rest, staring glumly around. There wasn't much to see. He made his way down a long hallway that continued to jostle him around. He didn't mind that, he was too good at keeping his own balance. On top of this the entire place seemed to be darkening and he liked that a lot. Darkness is cooling. _I like to be cool,_ he thought. The jostling seemed to slow down and it eventually stopped completely. For a moment he enjoyed the peacefulness – it had started to annoy him.

BANG!

He jumped at the loud sound echoing all around him. Many humans had entered his hallway. He'd seen a few pass by before but never so many at once. Suddenly another smell reached him, a cold and damp smell. All he wanted was to reach the sweet smelling place he longed for. He navigated his way around the clumsy feet, landing on cold concrete. It wasn't far enough to escape the humans and so he made his way towards the sanctuary he knew was near. Finally he reached his quarry, a great black lake. The coolness of the water felt like heaven though there was a little too much at once for his taste. He decided to find a much better place to sit, settling on some wood which were floating upon the deep waters. _Very nice. Very nice indeed._

Unfortunately his bliss was cut short as the wood he rested on began to rock uncontrollably all of a sudden. He slunk further into the darkness but there wasn't really anywhere for him to go. Enormous human feet settled themselves just in front him, feet bigger than he had ever seen. The human they belonged to was also extremely vast but if the human thought that would terrify him after living with the clumsy boy then he was sorely wrong. With a great leap he attempted to fling himself into the water. Unfortunately the giant humans hand grabbed him before he could make his epic escape. It was a little bumpy as the man exited the wooden log and stood on the shore. Usually he'd of found this _very_ annoying but what happened next overshadowed that.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" The large man called.

"Trevor!" he heard the clumsy boy calling him once again. The vast man placed him gently in the clumsy boys sweaty hands. "There you are," he said in a whisper. "Gran'll kill me if I lose you."

He stroked Trevor's head before placing him back in his pocket. Trevor liked the feeling of being stroked and settled down comfortably in the dark cotton. _There's no use leaving such a comfortable spot,_ he thought to himself. Soon he was fast asleep, woken only for a minute as Neville placed him back into his sanctuary. He slept blissfully, dreaming of the outside world and just waiting for his next wonderful adventure.


	6. Time to Say Goodbye

Challenges

Minor Character Boot Camp Challenge (HPFC) - Aragog & 40\. Funeral

The Forgotten Characters Challenge (HPFC) - 4. Aragog

If You Dare Challenge (HPFC) - 6. Warmongering

HPFC Royalty Competition - 500-1,000w & Prompt 6. Pattern

Halloween/October Drabble Challenge (HPFC) - 66. Decaying

Greek Mythology Category Competition (HPFC) - 8. Hades: Write about death. (Immortals)

 **Word Count:** 527

* * *

She sat next to her husband's enormous form, comforting him in his last moments of death. They had been together for almost fifty years and if life had been fair they would have enjoyed many more years together. When they found out that he had contracted the sickness she could have just died from grief. However, she had her children to think of and he reminded her of that. The children were sad but not as sad as she. They had resented their father not allowing them to feast on flesh when they wanted to. Especially the sweet taste of human flesh.

"My darling," he sighed. "It is time."

She blinked away her tears. "I know."

"Just promise me…."

"What?"

"Don't harm Hagrid. Tell him- tell him goodbye, and thank-you."

Mosag hesitated. She had never been fond of the large human her husband felt grateful to. However these might be his last moments and she did not want her husband to die unhappy.

"Of course, my love," she purred.

After one final breath Aragog's eyes closed for the last time. The family mourned, as was tradition, though also began preparations for the feast the next night. Mosag did not help and merely sat by her husband's decaying form as her children continued on with their work. A rustling sound beyond their encampment alerted Mosag to the presence of another creature. She knew who it was before he appeared. As soon as he entered the clearing the large human dropped to his knees in despair.

"No!" he cried. "Aragog, no!"

He rushed over and planted his face against Aragog's rigid body. Mosag saw that the large human was sobbing so hard that he could not control the movements of his own body. This was the first time she had ever felt anything pleasant towards the man her husband had loved so much. For some reason his grief touched her, perhaps he was the only other creature on this earth that had loved her husband as much as she had. Finally he calmed himself and stepped away from the body. Mosag noticed that some of her children were tensely watching, hoping that she would give her permission to devour him. Hagrid looked up at her.

"Shall I start diggin' then?" he asked.

"Digging?" Mosag repeated. "Why?"

"To bury 'im o' course."

"Bury him? We do not bury our dead. We eat them."

"Wha'?" the human looked horrified. "You can't do tha', I won' let ya."

"Let me? LET ME! I shall do what I like with my _own_ husband and you cannot stop me."

"Yes I can!"

With that Hagrid seized her husband's lifeless corpse and began to move towards the opening in the trees.

"Stop! You humans are all the same. It's always the same _pattern."_ She spat. _"_ You don't respect anyone's traditions other than your own."

"He needs a proper funeral!"

"This is what he wanted! He wants his children to feast. If you do this it will be an act of warmongering that we shall not forgive."

"Fine!"

Hagrid began to run and disappeared into the trees. Mosag narrowed her eyes.

"Stop him. At any cost."


	7. My Forever Home

Written for the QLFC Season 5 - Round 8

Tutshill Tornados - Chaser 2

Prompt: Write another's headcanon - see below

Optional Prompts:  
[3] All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey (song)  
[9] A character is sent to Azkaban (scenario)  
[15] Suitcase (object)

 **Word Count:** 2,977

CW: Death, Murder.

* * *

My Forever Home

* * *

There was nothing but blackness. One moment he was inside a metal cage and by the next that prison had been exchanged for another. There had been a human man, he remembered, and his hand had felt warm and safe. Perhaps if I call for him he will return? Help!

*bump*

He had stumbled forwards into something that he couldn't see as the ground below was moving of its own accord. It was as though he had become weightless and his body out of his own control. He did not like it at all. Finally, the movements stopped and everything was steady again. Help! Help! Help! He began to call frantically for the man. Surely he would find him soon. Help! Help! He-

Suddenly, a bright light blinded him. Then something large blocked the light and so he allowed himself to take a peek. It took a few moments for the object to come into focus when he realised it was another human. He had never seen this human before but as their features came into focus he noticed the pure elation on its face. It was happy to see him! He moved forwards, greeting the new human as he did. With a cry of delight the human picked him up and hugged him tightly to its chest while stroking his ears.

"Oh my goodness, James!" the new human said – when it spoke it dawned on him that this human was female. "I can't believe you've done this! He's perfect!"

The female human began to kiss the top of his head and he purred with delight. He liked the female human very much; she was soft and smelled wonderful. The woman held him up above her head and nuzzled his belly with her nose. He liked that very much. She placed him in her lap and continued to stroke his fur. He nuzzled into her, never wishing to leave the warmth of her caress.

 _OwwWWWWWwwwWwWwWWWwwwww!_

Something had grabbed hold of his tail and yanked at it. He clawed his way out of the painful grip, grabbing onto anything that would help heave him away from whatever it was. The pain subsided almost as immediately as it had begun but the fear inside him had not. As he calmed down he realised that he was clinging onto the female human's back, breathing extremely heavily. She effortlessly picked him up, despite his protests, and began to stroke his head again while holding him protectively against her chest. The panic began to subside and he looked around to find what the source of the pain had been.

"Now, Harry, that wasn't very nice! Be gentle, darling."

It seemed to be some sort of miniature human she was speaking to. He found that he could not take his eyes off it. That may have been because the miniature human was staring intently up at him with his over-large eyes. Then he noticed that the miniature human was being held up by the male human he had seen earlier. He greeted the male human who smiled down at him, his eyes sparkling behind the metal goggles on his face.

"That's it, son," he said.

The miniature human – was he called 'son' or 'Harry'? – had begun to tap him lightly on the back with his pudgy fingers. It didn't feel as nice as the female human's touch but it wasn't unpleasant so he didn't make a fuss.

"He's perfect, Jamie. Thank you," she said, kissing Jamie's cheek.

"All we've got to do now is give the little rascal a name," said Jamie. "What d'you think?"

"Hmm," she said. "What about, Fluffy?"

Jamie looked disgusted. "Ummm, no."

"He's my cat!"

"We are not naming one of our pets ' _Fluffy'_."

"Fine, what do you suggest?"

"Spike."

He looked up at the woman who was looking at Jamie as though he were insane.

"Spike?" she repeated. "You've got to be kidding."

Jamie took him from the female's arms as she gathered the miniature human into her lap.

"Hey," Jamie said to him. "Do you like the name Spike, kitten?"

He tilted his head at Jamie in confusion. He wasn't too sure what Jamie was asking but he definitely liked him very much.

"Yeah, I think that's a no."

"Ha! Alright fine. What do you think, Harry?"

Jamie was addressing the miniature human again and had called him Harry. Clearly, that was the baby's name.

"Wooooweeee AHHHHH!"

Harry began to gurgle happily but he still had no idea what they were talking about. What was the small human saying?

"I've got it!" said the female human rather suddenly. "Oscar!"

"Oscar," said Jamie. "I like it. What do you think?"

Jamie was looking expectantly down at him. He yowled his assent, not truly certain what he was agreeing to.

"Little, Oscar," said the female. "How perfect you are."

~P~

Many months had passed since he had first met his family. He knew this because Harry had grown quite a bit since then, as had he. Nowadays he wore a beautiful green collar which had his name, Oscar, engraved into a piece of round silver attached to it. Jamie tended to give him extra treats whenever Lils wasn't looking. Lils often snuggled with him on the sofa, stroking him with her soft hands.

They were very happy.

Recently, however, Oscar had noticed Jamie had seemed a little more irritable than usual. Every day Oscar would go out and explore the village. Yet, when he would return, Jamie would often ignore him and wouldn't give him any treats. At least Lils hadn't changed in her affections. In fact, if anything she tended to fuss over him more and more.

Harry was still a little annoying at times but he hadn't hurt him again since that first encounter. Oscar knew now that he hadn't meant to do it and had forgiven him long ago. The only incident that had occurred was when Harry had been zooming around on a broomstick and had almost run him over! Oscar had managed to dodge it but only just. Jamie and Lils had laughed and Jamie had hugged him afterwards.

For some reason his humans never seemed to leave the house anymore.

~P~

He was heading home after a very successful day. The wind rustled the leaves that lay upon the ground and the sky was almost pitch-black. It wasn't _too_ late though. At least, he had stayed out later than this in the past. He could hear the sounds of small children getting closer as he entered the village. Oscar preferred to take the back alleys when he could hear other humans around. It wasn't that he disliked other humans but rather couldn't be bothered with them most of the time. They always wished to pet him at the most inconvenient of moments and wouldn't let up even when he made it clear that he was not in the mood.

The direction of the wind changed and Oscar caught a whiff of a rather unfamiliar scent. He did not like it at all. It smelt… _dangerous_. He moved forwards rather more cautiously than before. The hairs on his tail were standing up on end whilst his ears were pinned back flat against his head. He couldn't explain what exactly had put him on edge he just knew that something was wrong. Finally, he turned the corner to his house and knew that safety was imminent.

That was when he saw it.

Oscar froze in his tracks, a horrible coldness spreading from his head all the way to the tips of his paws. The house, _his_ house, was nothing but rubble. How could this be? And where were his family? It was then that he heard the familiar cries of his brother.

 _Harry!_

He raced towards the source of the noise, darting past the discarded remnants of his home. He found Jamie first. Jamie was lying face down on the floor. His eyes were wide open and a trickle of blood was running from the corner of his mouth. Oscar nudged him gently but Jamie gave no response. The crying continued and Oscar left Jamie behind, knowing that he had left the world forever. He came across Lils next. She looked as if she could be sleeping, her long hair was fanned around her and she was covered almost entirely with debris. This time Oscar didn't stop, he didn't want to see her like that.

Finally, he found Harry who was sitting up inside of his crib. Miraculously he was unscathed though Oscar was unsure as to how that could be. As soon as Harry saw Oscar his crying subsided and they just stared into one another's eyes. Oscar wasn't sure how long the two of them sat like that but he was suddenly aware that the two of them were no longer alone.

A man, larger than any he had ever seen before, strode out of the darkness. Oscar ran and hid behind the overturned sofa, surveying the human from a distance. He stopped and looked down sadly at something on the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks into his huge, fluffy beard. Harry began to sniffle again and Oscar badly wanted to go and comfort him but found himself paralysed with fear. The large man seemed to have heard him as well and carefully made his way towards the crib. He gazed at Harry for a moment, his head bowed. Then the man picked up Harry with one enormous hand and made his way back towards the path.

It was at that moment that a loud roaring sound made Oscar jump out of his skin. The large man had reached the path now and was looking up towards the sky. Oscar imitated him and saw some sort of vehicle larger than him hovering high above. It began to descend and finally landed with a thud on the pavement.

A much smaller human got off the motorbike and began talking to the large man. They looked like they were arguing and Oscar could hear slightly raised voices but didn't dare to get any closer. Finally, it looked as though the smaller human had given up in defeat. The larger man got onto the other's vehicle and zoomed off into the night with Harry in tow.

Oscar erupted from his hiding place, running towards the spot where Harry had disappeared. He sat down as the vehicle vanished completely, a hopelessness overcoming him. It was then that he noticed the smaller human staring at him and Oscar realised that he recognised the man. He walked tentatively towards Sirius and looked up into his gaunt face.

"What do you want? Get out of here!" he began to shoo Oscar away but he refused to budge.

Instead, Oscar grabbed onto Sirius' leg. He didn't let go even when Sirius tried to vigorously shake him off. Once again Sirius gave up in defeat, pulling Oscar into his arms. For a few moments, they just stood there, wallowing in their grief.

"I know," he murmured.

Sirius then turned on the spot, still holding onto him, and the two seemed to become engulfed in some sort of extremely tight tube. Oscar did not like the feeling at all, though it passed as quickly as it had come. As soon as the sensation had stopped Oscar jumped from Sirius' arms, spitting as he backed away. It was then that Oscar realised that he was somewhere completely new. He had no idea how it had happened and was frightened. He then became aware that Sirius was no longer paying him any attention and was instead arguing with another human he recognised as Jamie's friend Peter. Oscar did not like Peter and felt his hairs stand on end even just looking at him.

"… HOW COULD YOU, SIRIUS?"

BANG!

In the next instant, the street behind them had exploded. Oscar found himself unceremoniously thrown against a wall. He gingerly got to his feet and looked at the devastation before him. There was a huge crater going straight through the road and human bodies were strewn everywhere. Out of the corner of his eye, Oscar noticed a small rat running into the sewers, leaving droplets of blood in its wake. He thought he recognised its scent from somewhere but couldn't quite place it.

Oscar's eyes scanned the street, searching for Sirius. He finally found him but they were no longer alone. For some reason Sirius seemed to be laughing, an unnatural laugh that didn't quite fit. There were around 20 humans who had appeared out of thin air standing around him. They all looked horror-struck. One particularly grim-faced wizard was talking directly to Sirius with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"… I shall now escort you to Azkaban where you will spend the rest of your days."

Sirius and several of the other wizards disappeared with a loud crack and Oscar found himself alone once more.

~P~

Many years had passed since that fateful night. He hardly remembered his first family anymore; he had forgotten their names as he had forgotten his own. However, he had not forgotten the ordeal he had faced that night and was sure that he never would. There had been several different families that had taken him in since then and each had given him a new name. Every time it had been the same. A family would take him in, feed him and take care of him. Then, after a fashion, he would find himself once more shoved back onto the street. It had happened so frequently that he stopped bothering to learn their names and, finally, decided that he would not allow himself into such a situation again. From that day forth he had deigned to prowl the streets, leading a solitary life devoid of pain.

At least, that was what he told himself.

~P~

' _I don't need to hang my stocking, there upon the fireplace._

 _Santa Claus won't make me happy, with a toy on Christmas day…'_

He hissed angrily from inside his cage. That was the eighth time that wretched song had been played that day and he was sick of it. He turned away from the inside of the shop and buried his head in his fur. For six weeks he had been trapped inside the pet shop amongst a variety of other animals. He knew that the human that ran this shop was of the non-magical variety though it was of no consequence to him. The woman had found him taking refuge from the pouring rain inside of a discarded suitcase. She clearly felt as though she was saving him from some sort of terrible fate but that didn't mean that he wanted to be saved. Unfortunately, it seemed that he did not have a choice and resigned himself to his fate.

"Excuse me?" he heard an unfamiliar voice ask. "May I have a look at this cat please?"

It didn't dawn on him that the new female had meant him until he was unceremoniously pulled out of his cage. He looked up grumpily at the new female human, willing her to slacken her grip so he could get away. She looked down at him intently before addressing the woman again.

"Yes, I'll take him."

"Alright, that'll be-"

"Free," the woman said.

A glazed look overcame the shopkeeper's face before she replied in an oddly stilted manner.

"Yes. Free."

~P~

It had been a fair few months since he had been taken from the Muggle pet shop. Nowadays he lived in the wizarding pet shop which was far more interesting than the former and so he didn't mind it as much. The woman who ran the shop was easy to live with. She didn't lock him in a cage all day but allowed him to roam around freely. He tended to stay inside the shop, no longer having any desire to venture into the outside world. At that particular moment, he was lounging in his favourite spot, high up out of reach on top of all of the stacked cages. He liked to look down into the shop below and watch the people who came in and out.

Just then the bell tinkled and he saw three figures approach the till. Usually, he wouldn't deign to truly notice anybody but an odd smell had entered the room with them and he felt as though he had encountered it before. With his interest peaked he stood up and leaned forwards to get a better view. One of the males had pulled out a rather thin rat and placed it onto the counter. A memory began to surface but he couldn't quite catch it and he narrowed his eyes. All he knew was that rat was not all that he seemed and he did not like it at all.

With a loud cry, he leapt from his hiding place and landed on top of the boy. The rat shrieked and bolted from the shop before he even had a chance to take a swipe at it. The boy he had landed on cursed loudly and threw him at the shopkeeper who looked extremely affronted. The other boy quickly followed his companion from the shop leaving the bushy-haired female alone. She seemed to be talking in earnest to the shopkeeper although he was barely listening. Suddenly he found himself in the girl's arms and he looked into her face for the first time. She was gazing down at him with absolute adoration and he couldn't help but enjoy her warmth. He purred as she stroked his fur and began to nuzzle her affectionately.

"Crookshanks," she said, beaming with happiness. "You're coming home with me."

With that Crookshanks left the pet shop in the arms of the young witch, knowing he had finally found his forever home.

* * *

 _A/N: The headcanon I was given was from Flye Autumne, the captain of the Falmouth Falcons, and their headcanon was that Crookshanks was actually the Potters' cat mentioned by Lily to Sirius in a letter. He was just a kitten back in 1981. Hope you all enjoyed my take on his life before meeting Hermione._


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